Surviving Grace

Last night, we also went to the Phillips Collection for a one-time-only reading of Surviving Grace for UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. We snapped the non-profit’s founder George Vradenburg, attorney Susan De Mars, Partnership for Brighter Tomorrows founder Annie Totah, actress Marilu Henner (Taxi) and husband Michael Brown.

The play’s author Trish Vradenburg and Amano owner Adam Mahr, during the pre-show cocktail hour, are with WAMU’s Diane Rehm, part of the celeb cast of readers. The night raised $150k.

When “Surviving Grace” — a mother-daughter play about Alzheimer’s — opened 10 years ago, the reviews were brutal, to say the least. “Critics didn’t like it, but audiences loved it,” playwright Trish Vradenburg told us. “I got the best reviews in Brazil. From now on, I’m writing everything in Portuguese.”

The evening literally played-out like one of The Phillips Collection’s annual talk-of-the-town black tie galas.

A guest list composed of members of Congress, Cabinet members, Washington business leaders, and noted philanthropists. A special performance headlined by a Hollywood/Broadway starlet. And, of course, dinner among some of the gallery’s priceless works of art.

Diane Rehm, beloved by NPR fans inside and outside of the Beltway, stole the show at the Phillips Collection Wednesday night, where she read the lead role of the play "Surviving Grace." The NPR host and executive producer was joined by Terry Moran of Nightline, actress Marilu Henner and Dan Glickman of the Aspen Institute on stage for a reading of Act I. Rehm, playing the role of an aging woman who likes to lob sugar-coated barbs at her daughter, played by Henner, appeared to be enjoying herself immensely.